


The Right Choice

by flintxwood



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Interracial Relationship, M/M, i wrote this because im literal trash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-13
Updated: 2017-01-13
Packaged: 2018-09-17 04:39:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9304652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flintxwood/pseuds/flintxwood
Summary: When they heard about the referendum, Seamus had to admit he was nothing less than shocked.





	

Dean and Seamus heard about the referendum through Seamus’s aunt. Despite her old Irish values that Seamus was sure she had, her tone over the phone sounded ecstatic. 

The referendum was something of a surprise. A public vote on marriage equality didn’t sound real. When Seamus was a kid and realised he fancied blokes his biggest fear was whether or not he could get married, so the news was nothing less of a shock. Even if he could marry a bloke in the wizarding world, he was so integrated in the muggle world that it wouldn’t matter for the most part.

Either way, when Dean left Hogwarts after the designated ‘eighth year’ to make up for missing seventh from the war, they got a small house in Ireland, leaving the idea of getting married for another time. They’d been together since the end of sixth year – after a lot of pining Seamus would never admit to – but both had to admit making the switch from friendship to a couple needed its time to set. 

Around them, their friends had gotten married. Both were baffled – and a little envious – if the quick marriages. Couples like Ron and Hermione, and Ginny and Harry got their marriages for the wizarding community, with a muggle marriage too. 

In 2002, they decided it was the right time to get married, even if it was just a marriage in the wizarding community. The wedding was still a happy day for both of them and everyone was happy for them. The muggle parts of their families felt a little out of place amongst their wizard family and friends but they still got along fine with them. Dean’s two half-sisters Tatiana and Riley were about Ginny and Luna’s age and they spent most of the day with them. 

But despite that, their marriage wasn’t recognised in Ireland. Seamus didn’t think he’d live to see the day it was; never thought they would ever be able to get married in his home. 

Of course, the vote has to pass it first. 

Ireland obviously had its reputation for being excessively Catholic, which was partially why his muggle family was wary of his and Dean’s relationship. Seamus didn’t care that much, if they didn’t want to come to their wedding if they didn’t like them together, and a lot of his dad’s side did skip it. The whole, being a wizard thing was bad enough in their book, so marrying Dean didn’t make it that much worse.

That’s where most of his surprise of his aunt excited tone came from. She was his dad’s sister and had refused to attend their wedding, stating how wrong it was and all the typical bullocks. 

“So, weird huh?” Seamus asked. “Like she hadn’t refused to come to our wedding.”

Dean shrugged. “I don’t know, when was the last time you spoke to her?”

“Been a while, me dad did say she’s getting better. I guess that call proves it.”

“But wow, actually getting a marriage muggles recognise,” Dean smiled.

Seamus nodded. “Yeah, didn’t think this day would ever come honestly.”

Dean smiled and kissed his cheek. “Well, let’s hope the law passes then.”

…

The next family member to call was Seamus’s muggle cousin, Nick. He held a lot of the same beliefs as his mum but what he called to tell him was definitely surprising.

“I’m going to vote yes.”

Seamus was silent for a moment, trying to process the information. This was somehow the same cousin that yelled at him for being gay, for even thinking about dating a bloke. The one that didn’t talk to him for a year after he and Dean got married. 

“Seamus?” he asked, when the silence had gone on for too long. Seamus wasn’t even sure what to say, how did he respond to that? 

“Thanks?” He didn’t mean for it to came out as a question.

Nick sighed. “I’m sorry, how I treated you when you told me about you and Dean was shitty as fuck.”

“Yeah, it was,” he muttered in reply.

“I’ll be honest, if you weren’t gay I’d probably voted no, but you and Dean deserve to get properly married.”

Seamus smiled. “Bad choice of words but yeah, we want a muggle marriage since we are living here.” 

“You’re right, let me rephrase that,” he sighed. “I guess my brain always had a habit in othering gay people, and I guess that’s why you being gay shocked me. But it hit me that you and Dean are really happy, and I shouldn’t have stopped talking to you or skipped your wedding. I’ve been trying to convince others to vote yes too; I want other people like you to be able to get married. And the marriage you do have is pretty meaningless here, I know it’s real but you should still be able to get a marriage that’s recognised beyond wizards.”

Seamus hesitated. Nick wasn’t the humblest person but here he was, genuinely apologising to him. “Well… thanks. I didn’t expect this from you,” he smiled. “You really going to try and convince people to vote yes?”

“Yeah,” he replied. “Already started; most said they were voting yes anyway. I’m not the only one with a gay family member. Or friend I guess.”

“Yeah, I guess that’ll help,” Seamus said. “Thanks Nick.”

…

There were a lot of campaigns during the referendum from both sides. Flyers were stuck around the cities and neighbourhoods. Seamus felt a pang in his chest when he passed a ‘vote no’ poster that said ‘a child needs a moth and a father’. He heard Dean mutter “someone tell my birth father that” when they saw it. Seamus squeezed his shoulder. 

“Pathetic trying to appeal with children though, ‘ight?” he said, hoping it’d comfort him. 

Dean nodded. “Definitely.”

They did see posters in support of ‘vote yes’, and that cheered both of them a little since it was the overwhelming majortiy. 

That weekend, a knock was at their door. When Seamus answered it, it was two people with hopeful looks in their eyes. 

“Hi, sorry to bother you, sir but I’m sure you’ve heard about the referendum,” one said and their voice was shaky. Seamus wasn’t aware people were going door to door to talk about the vote, and he wouldn’t lie, it made him a little sad that people were so afraid of the referendum not passing that they were going door to door.

Seamus nodded. “Yes, me and my husband were planning to vote.”

He smiled when he saw the relief in their eyes. “Think it’ll pass?”

Seamus shrugged. “I don’t know, my cousin said he’s voting yes and trying to convince others to do it too; apparently they’re also planning to vote yes.”

The two smiled. “Let’s hope it actually passes.”

Seamus nodded. “Definitely.”

…

The turnout to the polls was larger than Dean and Seamus expected. Dean had told him that he read on the muggle app twitter that many Irish people who lived outside of Ireland were making their way back home to be able to vote. That did bring hope to both of them that’ll be a yes. 

While you couldn’t tell who people were voting for, there were couples – Seamus and Dean included – stuck together at the hip, usually receiving glares from older people. Seamus received a lot of calls from both sides of his family, assuring him they were voting yes. He was surprised even his mother’s side of the family was taking part in a muggle vote just so he and Dean could have a muggle marriage, but it was good to know they understood the importance. 

The next day, they drove down to Dublin Castle to hear the results. They were in the middle of the crowd, amongst those waving rainbow flags, wearing shirts that said ‘yes’, and cheering as the results showed the yes was winning. As they watched, Dean kept his arm around Seamus’s shoulders, while Seamus kept his arms wrapped around Dean’s waist. 

As they watched the results pour in, there was no doubt the result would be yes. He grinned and pressed his face against Dean’s shoulder, giving it a soft kiss. Dean squeezed his shoulder and when a loud cheer roared through the crowd, Seamus didn’t need to check what the results were. In his excitement, he wrapped his arms around Dean’s neck, went on his toes, and pulled him down into a kiss. Dean kissed him back, wrapping his arms around his hips. 

They were so excited they didn’t notice the flashing of the camera that took the shot of them, an image that was used frequently in reports celebrating the results.


End file.
